There is a war over Christmas…those who judge or condemn other Christians who observe Christmas, but here’s why that’s wrong.
Things over People
There is a war about Christmas…those who judge or condemn other Christians who observe Christmas, but here’s why that’s wrong. It seems that people are more important than things, so when we put things over people, we are truly missing one of the richest things about this season…giving. If we only focus on gifts and the trappings of the traditions of the season we lose the real purpose of this holiday. I highly recommend biblical stories being read during these times like the nativity story from the Bible on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day as recorded in Luke 2:4-19. Reflect on the reason that He came into the world…to save sinners from the wrath of God and to end the separation from God that our sins had created. These truths shouldn’t be heard only during Christmas but all year long as it says in Deuteronomy 11:19 “You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
Decorations Meaning
The star represents the star that pointed to where King Jesus would be at…sometimes called the star of Bethlehem. The first color of Christmas was red, symbolic of Jesus’ shed blood. The wreath pictures the never-ending eternal love…the unbroken circle of God’s love for us. The candy cane with the red stripes (by His stripes we were healed) His blood, the white His righteousness and the J-shape both for Jesus’ name and the shepherds crook. These are hardly ever mentioned so teach these to your children or you’re missing the true meaning of Christmas.
The shepherds followed the instructions of the angels in Luke 2:9-15. The wise men followed the star to find the place where Jesus was. Matthew 2:1, 2.
Pagans
I have actually heard other believers call fellow believers, pagans. Yes, that came from the mouth of another Christian, so I thought the word pagan needs some definition because the word originally meant “region delimited by markers,” but that’s not what we think of when we say the word pagan. Today, we use the word pagan to refer to anything that is outside of our own religious belief system. If it’s not what we believe, then it must be pagan, and to a point, that’s true. Christianity is not pagan, but like all other religions, and even the secular world, pagan things have infiltrated their ways into all of our lives, but we can carry this pagan label too far. By definition, a pagan is someone who holds religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions, so anyone outside of their own belief system, is considered pagan.
Christians see paganism is anything that is not Bible-based, but we can carry this paganism cleansing too far. For example, a wedding ring is a pagan symbol of fertility, so does that mean that every married couple is worshipping the god of fertility by wearing their wedding rings? In ancient times, paganism was sheer hedonism, or the relentless pursuit of sensual gratification and self-indulgence, and seeking and pursing pleasure to the point of exclusion of everything and everyone else, and sexual ceremonies were a major part of pagan religions as there were dozens and dozens of temple prostitutes. That’s true paganism, historically speaking.
Passing Judgment
The Apostle Paul has some very good words on learning how to live with the differences that we all have (Rom 14). He knew we all have different backgrounds, parenting styles, skills, abilities, and belief systems, but we all agree on the main things; the divinity of Christ, His sinless perfection, and that He is coming again to judge the world in righteousness, but then we can get into splitting hairs where it’s not really necessary. A person is saved by faith alone in Christ alone, and their salvation is not affected because they don’t understand everything.
To one person, something may not be a sin, but to another, it may be, so as Paul said, what is not of faith is sin…to that person (Rom 14:23). We can’t say what that looks like for our neighbor, but we can, and in fact, must say something when our brother or sister gets into “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” (Gal 5:19-21). It is our Christian duty to go to our brother or sister (Matt 18:15-20), but when we get into areas that are non-essentials, we can get into our judges robe and sit in the jury box and very easily hand out convictions, however, that is not our place.
God is the Judge
The Apostle Paul tells us that we shouldn’t be in the business of condemning over non-essentials. He writes, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand” (Rom 14:1-5). I am glad, and aren’t you glad, that we won’t stand before others on judgment day. For us, our sins have already been judged in Christ, but after His return, He will hand out rewards to those who have been faithful.
We are not our brother’s judge over whether they think or believe (or have proof, some have said) that Christmas is pagan or not. Again, just about everything in this world have pagan fingerprints all over it. Ringing bells was a part of pagan worship. They rang bells to “wake up” or get the attention of the gods, so does that mean that churches are participating in pagan practices when they ring their bells on Sunday morning? Are they trying to get the pagan gods attention? And, lighting candles were the pagan’s ways of driving off the cold and forces of darkness (whatever that was), so is lighting candles paganist? When I hear church bells in our small town, I don’t think, “Okay, it’s time to get up and start worshipping the pagan gods of (fill in the blank),” but rather, “It’s time to go and worship God.” When I placed my wife’s wedding ring on her finger, I didn’t think of the goddess of fertility. It was special moment, and the ring represents the unbroken circle of our love; till death do we part. Paganism was the last thing on my mind, so for those who desire to participate in Christmas, good for you…and for those who don’t, good for you too. Just don’t let this become a war within the Body of Christ, the church. It’s not godly and it’s not Christ-like.
Babies and Bathwater
“Come out of her my people….”
I don’t believe the apostles would give up their cloak just because the pagans wore them. We are told to “Come out of her my people” (Rev 18:4), but that verse is frequently taken out of context because it has to do with Babylon and the system of sexual immorality and greed (Rev 21:9-24), so “Come out of her my people” (Rev 18:4) has absolutely nothing to do with someone observing Christmas.
No Offense Necessary
As we have read, there are simply hundreds of pagan relics left over in the world, and many of these have seeped deep into our culture, and even into religion, but God looks at our thoughts, motives, and intents (Heb 4:13) more than just our outward actions. He is interested what we think. If we celebrate birthdays but our brothers don’t, then let us not impose our beliefs on them, but those who don’t observe birthdays should not be imposing their beliefs on those who do want to celebrate it.
Imagine a pot luck meal in the first century church, which was primarily Jewish, and then someone brings in roasted pork. Would they remember Jesus’ words, that, “Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean)” (Mark 7:18-19). Of course, that person shouldn’t have brought pork to a predominantly Jewish crowd, and even though it was okay for him to eat pork, it is not good to unnecessarily offend those who do not eat pork. So, why are so many Christians who don’t observe Christmas, offended by those who do, and why are some believers who observe Christmas offended by those who don’t’ observe it?
Merry Christmas from the staff at WCWTK.
Conclusion
If it’s all about getting the shopping done, rushing here and there to get everything that’s needed, getting all the cooking done, sending out Christmas cards to everyone you know, getting all the decorations and the tree set up, and putting tradition over the story of the Babe in the manger, then you are missing the true meaning of Christmas. Christ is the reason for the season. Don’t miss that!
I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.
Here is some related reading for you: Christmas Bible Verses: 20 Great Quotes
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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